House Flipping

I’ve been doing some research lately on what it would take to become a serious investor in real estate.  I’ve been reading books from the library and listening to different podcasts.  It seems that in this market, it is an excellent time to buy.  The foreclosure market is a great place to invest right now.  It’s sad to see how many people were sucked into getting bad loans, but it presents an excellent opportunity for flipping houses.

My biggest concern right now is just lack of experience.  I’m sure I could find the right people to help with the construction, because I don’t have the time to do that work myself.  Things like painting, carpet, kitchen cabinets, and windows.  I’ve learned some skills before like roofing, some carpentry, and hardwood dowels and other items.  I’ve also worked with a walk in bathtub and shower installation.   My dad used to build houses with his dad, and when I was younger, we built a house together.

Even without the skills, there is still money to be made in flipping.  The housing market will rebound eventually, and whoever is buying now will do great.  Even if I can get houses to rent out, I could eventually sell those properties.

Planning for the Future

Lately, as I’ve been thinking about kids a lot, I’ve thought a lot about my financial future. There are a lot of things involved in a financial plan, including life insurance, disability insurance, a will and/or trust, investments, college education and retirement just to name a few. As just an average person, it can all be very overwhelming. I mean, I feel like I manage my household fairly well. I use Quicken books to keep track of our income and expenses, but I just don’t have the tools to project forward.This is why I think it is very wise to hire a professional. I have been searching for a good Cincinnati life insurance company and think I found one in Primerica. They seem to know what they are talking about and generally care about me and my family. When I look for a planner, I want to find someone who is personable and actually cares about my future, no matter how small I am. This is so hard to find in the financial planner world because everything is commission driven. I guess the test of time is the only real way to know if they’ll be there. They give me some peace of mind for sure. I guess there is no way of really securing your future. That is why in Deut. the Lord warns the Israelites to not trust in their wealth, but to trust in Him, who gives them the ability to create wealth. The only thing I can do is use the best wisdom I know, trust in Him, and sit back and drink some Japanese green tea to relax.

Hannah Montana still Cruising

We took a bunch of our kids this weekend to see the Hannah Montana 3-D concert movie, and they had an absolute ball!  It’s unbelievable to me how popular this tv show and concert series has become.  It is a marketers dream come true, being able to sell Hannah Montana party supplies, clothes, posters, and all kinds of other stuff.  You could slap Hannah’s name on a pile of poop and girls would want it.  The success of certain shows have always fascinated me.  It seems you have to have the right set of elements in place for the combination of a huge success.  For instance, why the Wiggles make it big and movies like this one can last for several years is like the stars aligning.  I guess there will always be a market for children’s shows and movies.  As long as the culture continues to digress, families want a safe place to take their kids.  It seems that Disney is benefiting right now from this run.